A visit from some good friends -- and gourmets as well -- from Redwood City
gave a chance to taste some bottles that have been languishing for a while.

On saturday, mushrooming yielded nothing but an appetite. We vented our
frustration by picking blackberries and hazelnuts, turning former into stra=
ined
puree and shelling latter, made rabbit roasted on a bed of onions and thin
bacon, glazed with blackberry and gooseberry, with slightly sweet hazelnut
white wine sauce. Also beans with sesame, cheeses (Jort camembert -- the b=
est --
old Carrouges, young chevre), and fresh picked apple tart to follow.

Wines: '88 and '86 Beaucastel Chateauneuf du Pape.

The '88 opened quickly into a silky and incredibly well balanced wine. Ras=
pberry
and herbs (thyme?) in the nose, chewy but elegant, very well integrated. L=
ong,
layered and classic. Could use a few more years in bottle, but I can wait.

The '86 opened with a great horrible whiff (you know what I mean) although =
there
was an immediate taste of bright grenache fruit. It then closed up for an =
hour
or so, before showing black fruits, chunkier than the 88, still great struc=
ture and
herbs. After initially I didn't get any brett on the nose, only a little i=
n the mouth.
Less than I expected, honestly. Stood up very well to the cheeses.

Re a recent disagreement on the subject of wood, I'm willing to admit that I
didn't get much of any from either of these bottles. Either it was complet=
ely
integrated or I was mistaken. (I haven't tasted a young Beaucastel in many=
a
year, so that's possible.)

On sunday we were flattered when the butcher, having been told that good=20
friends were in town, took out half of a veal to select the 4 best chops. =
Grilled
these on the fire with rosemary (and smoked rosemary underneath), served
with a simple saut=E9 of fresh garden vegetables. (I made a strawberry cha=
rlotte
to follow, but by the time we got there water was called for.)

Wine: '85 Ch. Gloria. (In honor of friend Gloria we usually try to work t=
his in).

First bottle had leaked, had a low shoulder fill. Still it was sound, a ni=
ce sweet
approach and decent but not world-shaking length. Tannins fully integrated.
Very enjoyable, cassis, coffee and sweet vanilla notes, clove... =20

Second bottle (high fill) was much chewier and predictably showed much the
same but younger. All in all it indicated to me that this is to drink, not=
hold.
The first bottle seemed a bit flabby compared to the second.

An enjoyable weekend. Now it's salad for a week!

-E
--=20
Emery Davis
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